Secretary of State John Kerry testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2013, before a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on Syria response. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Egypt,” and Mark Steyn's column, “In Syria, U.S. aims not to get mocked” [Commentary, Sept. 1], both point out the disaster waiting to happen if President Barack Obama orders military action against Syria.

After listening to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearings and House Foreign Affairs Committee on justifications for punishing Syria with limited bombing for its alleged use of chemical weapons, I think there is some hope that Congress will deny approval for getting involved in Syria's civil war.

The secretaries of state and defense, and the military chief of staff, could not guarantee that limited bombing would not escalate into troops on the ground and a wider regional war, as well as helping Islamist extremists gain power against a secular, though brutal, dictator.

President Barack Obama ignores the plight of religious minorities whose houses and churches have been destroyed in Iraq and Egypt, and whose men, women and children are suffering violence under Islamic rule there while bending over backward to appease Muslim majorities.

Americans should firmly express their rejection of costly military adventures at a time when our economy and jobs are just starting to recover.

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SANTA ANA, Sidney Hatchl: Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad has called for talks with the U.S. Certainly if, as President Obama has stated, the proposed, limited, military strike need not be done immediately, then no harm can come from talking to try and find a solution to the problem before killing more people.

Secretary of State John Kerry insists that he knows that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad used poison gas. In a matter of such importance, he must either publish proof, allow the U.N. Security Council to review the matter or admit that he is guessing.

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BREA, Lou Banas: When U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry compared the possible strike against Syria to the World War II invasion of Normandy, he showed how little he knows and understands world and U.S. history. The Normandy operation was part of an open and declared war supported by Congress, the American people and a boatload of allies overseas.

World War II's clear objective was to defeat the Axis powers and topple Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini and their allies from power. Total victory was the objective. This war was not a limited “shot across the bow,” that was not intended to assure regime change, which are President Obama's goals for any Syrian attack.

Study your history, Mr. Secretary, before you make more ridiculous comparisons.

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ORANGE, Bill Wells: I was shocked to open a recent Register and see the photo with the headline, “President Barack Obama meets with his national security staff to discuss the situation in Syria” [“Obama, Kerry press case for Syria action,” World, Aug. 31]. This is the intelligence group that plans our future? Members of this group, less John Kerry, gave us the Benghazi video cover-up story.

Why should anyone believe anything this group says?

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COSTA MESA, Bert G. Osterberg: Secretary of State John Kerry testified that the proposed attack on Syria would not be an “Act of War.” I have one question: If Iran or North Korea positioned warships off the coast of California and fired hundreds of rockets into our state, would that be an “Act of War" or not?

GOP will retreat, again

SANTA ANA, Timothy C. Mason: House Speaker John Boehner said he is gearing up for “a whale of a fight” with President Obama over the imminent raising of the federal debt ceiling. Boehner's reaction is due to a letter he received from Treasury Secretary Jacob J. Lew warning that the government will lose the ability to pay all of its bills in October without another increase in the debt ceiling.

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